Car-window cleaner.



E. l. MARTIN.

CAR WINDOW CLEANER.

APPLICATION FILED OCT; 16. 1914.

Patented Sept. 7, 1915.

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Ll vllfllll r I E. J. MARTIN. CAR wmnow CLEANER. r APPLICATION HLED OCT. 16. I914.

1,153,095. Patented Sept. 7, 1915.

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E. J. MARTIN.

CAR WiNDOW CLEANER.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. :6. 19m,

1,153,095. PatentedSept. 7, 1915.

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j Y W l dl'i'omwu ED STATES PATENT, oFFIoE.

EUGENE J. MARTIN, OF WASHINGTON. DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-' FIFTH T0 ROBERT W. THOMPSON, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

CAR-WINDOW CLEANER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 7, 1915.

Application filed October 16, 1914. Serial No. 866,979.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

'Be it known that I, EUGENE J. MARTIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at \Vashington, District of Columbia, have 1nvented certain new and useful Improvements in Car-Vindow Cleaners; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same. I

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in car window cleaners, and has for its principal object to provlde a window cleaner which will effectively remove sleet and frost from the windows of a vehicle.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel means which will effectively accomplish the above results in a simple and efficient manner.

A further object of the invention is to provide a means for heating the window rubber in order that the sleet or frost may be melted therefrom.

A further and more specific object of the invention is to provide a device which will be housed and protected against injury from the elements.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the novel combination and arrangement of parts which will be fully set forth in the following specification and accompanying drawings, in which,

Figure 1 is a front view in elevation of a window illustrating the cleaner applied thereto, a portion of said window being broken away to more clearly illustrate the details of construction, Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view of the cleaner showing the same in its inoperative position, Fig. 3 is a view illustrating the deviceas it would appear when in operation, similar to Fig. 2,

'Fig. ,4 is a horizontal sectional view illusters of reference, the numeral 1 designates the window frame in which the glass 2 is secured. This frame is surrounded by the casing designated generally by the numeral 3, in which the operating mechanism for the rubber which is carried within the hood, designated generally by the numeral 4, is housed.

The hood 4 hereinbefore referred to, comprises the bottom wall 5 having formed integral therewith at one end the front wall 6. This front wall extends vertically as illustrated in the drawings and is formed at its upper edge with the upwardly inclined top wall 7 which terminates at its opposite edge in the flange 8, which flange is bent back upon itself as at 9 and this portion 9 extends downwardly and is bent outwardly at its lower edge to form the inclined flange 10, the free edgeof which is curved to form the trough 11. Suitable bolts 12 extend through the flange 9 at a point slightly above the angular extension 10 and are arranged to ad justably secure the plate 13 having formed therein the slots 14, which slots are arranged to receive the bolts and permit of vertical adjustment of the plate with relation to the flange. The lower edge of this plate is inclined inwardly as at 15 and terminates in the flange 16 as clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 3. Secured within the housing 1 and extending throughout its entire length is the partition wall designated generally by the numeral 17, which partition wall comprises the vertical portion 18 which terminates at its upper end in the upwardly inclined portion 19. These portions 18 and 19 terminate respectively at opposite edges in the flanges 20 and 21 through which the rivets 22 are arranged to extend to secure the flanges 20 and 21 respectively to the bottom and front walls 5 and 6. A suitable insulating material. 23 is secured to the walls 5 and 6 between the points where the flanges 20 and 21 are secured, and a similar strip of insulating material 24 is secured to the flanges and walls 18 and 19 respectively. Itwill thus be seen that a completely insulated chamber is formed in which the heating'coil25 is arranged to be held. Suitable apertures 26 are formed in the insulating material 24 and wall 18, and these apertures are arranged in registration so as to permit the heat within the chamber to flow into the housing 4 so that the rubber which is carried therein, which will be more fully hereinafter described, will be heated. The walls of this chamber are designed to protect the heating coils and prevent any water or moisture which might enter the housing from injuring the coils.

Having described the housing for the rubber and the heating means therefor in the foregoing paragraph, the description will now proceed with the rubber in detail. This rubber, hereinbefore referred to, is designated generally by the numeral 27 and comprises the plate 28 having one edge bent upwardly as at 29. A plurality of downwardly extendin teeth 30 are formed on the inner face 0 the plate 28 and are arranged to engage the rubbing material as will be more fully hereinafter described. Extending upwardly from the edge of the plate 28 opposite the extension 29 is the flange 31, which flange projects at right angles to the plate 28 and terminates in the loop 32, the opposite edge of which is extended downwardly as at 33 in a plane parallel with the flange 31 and terminates in the loop 34, the use of which will appear hereinafter. A suitable arm 35 is secured by means of the flange 36 and rivets 37 to the face of the plate 33'opposite the flange 31. This arm carries at its free end the weight 38 having extending centrally therethrough the bolt'39, which bolt is provided with the thumb nut 40 so that the weight may be released and adjusted on the arm 35 to balance the rubber 27. Coiiperating with the plate 28 is the plate 41 which is provided at one edge with the downturned flange 42 which corresponds to the flange 29 hereinbefore mentioned. The opposite edge of the plate 41 is provided with the curved portion 43 which is arran ed to engage the loop 34 and pivotally hold the plate 41 in operative position, with relation to the plate 28 herembefore referred to. Suitable lugs 44 are arranged to coiiperate with the lugs 30 in supporting the rubbing material and the angle plates 45 are supported near the inner edges of the plates 28 and 41 by means of the bolts 46 and wing nuts 47.

The looped portion 32 of the flange 31 is arranged to surround the bar 48 and be secured thereto by means of the rivets 49, and

this bar is extended and journaled at each end in the end walls of the housing 4. A

suitable sleeve 50 surrounds the bar 48.at one 1 end and is held in place by means of the set screw 51. This sleeve is arranged to space the rubber operating mechanism from the rubber to avoid any interference in the operation of'the device.

The end .of the bar 48 is provided with the rectangular aperture 52 in which the angularly extending plate 53 is held by means of the set screw 54. This plate is bent downwardly at its opposite end as at 55 and is arranged to engage a suitable controlling arm which will be more fully described herein-after.

The rubber hereinbefore referred to, wh1ch is held between the plates 28 and 41 comprlse a plurality of layers of felt designated by the numerals 56 which are spaced from each-other by means of the layers of canvas 57. It will thus be seen that soft and practically indestructible rubber is provided for engagement with the glass 2 of the window.

Having described in detail the rubber and housing therefor, the detail description of the guides for the housing and casing for the rope or cable, by means of which the evice is operated, will now be taken up. These guides are designated generally by the numeral 58 and comprise the U-shaped body 59, having formed at the end of one of its arms the head 60 and at the end of the opposite arm the flange 61. This flange 61 is arranged to support the flange 62 having formed at one edge the angular projection 63 which is arranged to engage the bent portioni55 of the arm 53. This flange 62 is held in place by means of the bolt 64 which extends through the flange 61 and the flange 65 of the bracket designated generally by the numeral 66. This bracket comprises the stem 67 which branches at one end and terminates in the oppositely projecting arms 68, one of which terminates in the flange 65 and the opposite arm terminates in the portion 69 which surrounds the bight portion of the U-shaped guide 58.

The stem 67 hereinbefore referred to is secured by means of the bolt 70 to the angular extension 71, which is formed on the plate 72, which plate is riveted or otherwise secured to the window frame which surrounds the frame 1.

Riveted or otherwise secured as at 73 is the plate 74 having formed thereon the guide 75 which projects from the central portion of the plate and is provided at its free end with the enlargement 76 h'avin formed therein the aperture 77 througl which the cable 78, by means of which the device is raised, extends. -The lower terminal of this aperture is flared as at 79 and is arranged to receive the tapered plug 80 in which the cable is knotted. In the preferred form of the device there are two cables, one for each side of the device, and these cables run over the pulleys 81 and 82 and thence through the frame of the car and the angular extension 88, which angular exits upper edge in the angularly extending tension terminates in the transversely extending plate 89, which plate extends entirely across the window and termlnates at bent-back portion 90, which cooperates with the flanges l0 and 15 in forming a closure for the housing 4. i

It will be apparent from the foregoing that in use the device, when in its normal position illustrated in Fig. 2, is down so that the heating coil25 is in communication with the steam pipe 91 which admits steam or heated air to the coil and thus causes the heating chamber to become warm which will in turn heat the interior of the casing .4. When it is desired to operate the device, the handle 86 is pulled so that the cables 78 will exert pull on their respective ends'of the housing 4 and raise the same, thereby lifting the housing clear of the wall 89 and opening the rear thereof so that the warm air therein will come into contact with the exterior of the window glass 2 thereby melting the ice or frost thereon so that the operation of the rubber 27 will not be in any way interfered with. Simultaneous with the upward movement of the housing, the extension 55 on the shaft 48 is raised from engagement with the arm 63 and this will permit the weight 38 to carry the arm 35 downwardly, thereby raising the rubber into the position illustrated in Fig. 3 so that the edge thereof will engage the outer surface of the glass and wipe the same, removing any undesired matter therefrom. Upon releasing the handle 86, it will be evident that the housing will descend into its normal position illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, thereby bringing the extension 55 into engagement with the arm 63 and causing the bar 48 to swing within its bearing and thus cause the rubber to assume the position illustrated in Fig. 2. This, it will be apparent, will swing the rubber inwardly so that the edge thereof will not interfere with the closure 89 and will also permit the heating coil 25 to contact with the suitable source of heat supply 91, so that the interior of the housing 4 will again, become heated and the heat prevented from escaping by 'means of the wall 89.

While in the foregoing there has been shown and described the preferred embodiment of this invention, it is to be understood that such changes may be made in the combination and arrangement of parts as will fall within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A car window cleaner including a housing, a heating chamber within the housing, a rubber pivoted within the housing, said rubber being arranged to swing outwardly to engage the car window on which the dewhen .the device is not in use, and means to automatically close the opening through Which the rubber extends when the device is in its inoperative position.

3. A car window cleaner including ahousing, guides supporting the housing, said housing being .slidable in the guides and having an opening in its rear Wall, a rubber pivoted within the housing, the rubber being arranged to project through the opening to engage the car window on which the device is used, means to swing the rubber inwardly when the device is lowered and out of operation, and means to close the opening when the device is in the aforesaid position.

4. A car window cleaner including a slidable housing, guides supporting the housing, the housing being provided with an opening in its rear wall, a rubber pivoted within the housing, said rubber being arranged to extend outwardly into engagement with a car window when the device is in use, means to swing said rubber inwardly when the device is not in use, and a closure to close the opening in the rear wall of the housing when the device is in its inoperative position.

5. A car window cleaner including a vertically slidable housing, guidessupporting bles within the guides to control the opera- I rubber being arranged to engage the window of the car on' which the device is used, an angular extension on the shaft, a stop on the guides, the stop being arranged to engage the extension to swing the rubber inwardly and from engagement with the window, and means to close the opening in the housing, when the device is in its inoperative position.

7. A car window cleaner including a housing, a heating chamber within the housing, a heating coil within the heating chamber, said coil and heating chamber being arranged to heat the air within the housing, a shaft journaled in the end wall of the housing, a rubber secured to the shaft, a weight to normally hold the rubber outwardly through the opening in the rear wall of the housing and into engagement with the window of the car on which the device is used, guides holding the housing in operative position, a stop near the lower ends of the guides, an angular extension on the shaft arranged to engage the stop to cause the rubber to swing inwardly, and a plate arranged to close the opening in the rear wall of the housing when the device is in its inoperative position.

8. A car window cleaner including a housing, a heating chamber within the housing, a

heating coil within the heating chamber,

said chamber and coil being arranged to heat the air within the housing, a rubber pivoted within the housing, the rear wall of the housing being open, the rubber being arranged to swing out through the opening and into engagement with the car window on which the device is used, guides for supporting the housing in operative position, a stop carried by one of the guides, an angular extension carried by the rubber to swing the same inwardly and out of engagement with the window, means to close the opening in the rear wall of the housing when the device is in its inoperative position, means to cause the heating coil to become heated when the device is in its inoperative position, and cables within the guides, said cables being arranged to control the operation of the housing to cause the same to slide on the window on which the device is used.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

W. C. DAVIS, Rose M. SEr'roN. 

